Speaking Clocks

The original HyperCard Speaking Clock and its derivatives can no longer be run with modern computers, unless you have an emulator. I am considering re-engineering but this is time-consuming, and the following represents, currently, where I'm going with this work. I would like to make many more clocks over time.

The new clock, using the same supply text, is called the Epigraphic Clock. It spells the time in a slightly different way and it is still a work in progress. A Processing applet version of this clock is linked below.

The entire text of the supply poem is visible as the Epigraphic Clock runs. Phrases are highlighted in colour, spelling out the month (ochre), date (yellow), hour (dark red), and minute (green). The blue words moving through the text represent a 'second hand'. For each of these date items, the colour fades to the 'default' light grey text colour as time approaches the moment when a date item must change. For example, the green 'minute words' will fade as the change of the minute approaches, after which the new minute words will be made bright green. The legend in the lower register of the clock should allow you to decode the clock's phrases for the time of day although catching and decoding the second hand is more or less impossible.

I'm working to add audio to the sketch, but this may take some time.

Download a runnable java jar file for Epipgraphic Clock

The first working version of the Epigraphic Clock was installed for the Brown University, Student Creative Arts Council Spring Festival, Apr 29-30, 2011, in the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts.